The City of Nostalgia
by unfinishedstorylines
Summary: The year is 1933, Korra revisits Republic City for the first time in since she was 20 strictly on Avatar duties. The nostalgia of her teenage years overwhelm her, and she runs into Mako
1. The Nostalgia

Nostalgia was in the air, and it tasted bitter sweet. Avatar Korra, now thirty, revisited the city of her youth. The once so tall skyscrapers that mingled with the clouds, no longer intimidated the young woman. New stores had emerged at the corners and crevices of the grid like setup, and new technology had replaced what seemed to be ancient. Vaudville and musicals and magic acts and televisions were the new forms of entertainment, the risque and controversial fashion that had defined the 20's evolved into a more conservative outlook. This Republic City was not the city she once loved, it was _different_.

The city was almost new to her, not the utopia like dream she escaped to in her teens; but it was a new city she was destined to explore, and discover. The air was still thick with nostalgia. The lake, now open to tourists, transformed into the memory of the same lake where she met Gommu trying to rummage for food her first day at Republic City. As she etched herself beck deeper into the city she noticed the vagabonds were new, the street urchins were new, the gangs were new, everything was _new_.

What remained constant was probending, the sport she divulged herself in her first year at Republic City, and the sport she used to dream about as a little girl in the South Pole. There were so many new teams, The Flying Badgermoles, The Rare Dragons, and The Poisonous Penguins, looking at the names Korra was thankful that she joined a team with a name already picked instead of having to think of such outrageous names. The lights were the same bright, enticing lights that enticed her in during her airbending training, and they lured her in again. It comforted her that the arena was still the same, the air was still a mixture of blood, sweat, and tears. And the memories relapsed, _her first meeting with the Fabulous Bending Brothers, the first time she saw them fight, her confession of infatuation to Mako, her hat trick; her teenage years. _She made her way to Mako and Bolin's old apartment to find a new bender Toza had taken in, an earthbender named Skoochy; Korra almost didn't recognise him without his intentions of trying to take her money, and who she wholeheartedly believed was Councilwoman Jinora's secret boyfriend she mentioned in her letters to Korra.

She knew it was time to halt her visit in memory lane and tend to her duties as the Avatar. Republic City was more divided than ever, between the haves and the have nots, the recession his everyone, and a depression was soon on its way; Korra needed to discuss preliminary measures with the council to avoid the worst.

* * *

Korra walked right into a council meeting, not acknowledging the five authority figures were in the midst of a discussion, _some things never change. _Since her teenage years she has matured, along with the gift of a few inches her body was slimmer, she wore a dark blue pencil skirt with a sheer white blouse that had ruffles lining the v neck, the fronts of her fringe were tied back in water tribe hair loops and the rest of her curls roamed free, giving her hair and elegant yet natural look.

_**She was beautiful**_

Councilman Mako was the first to notice Korra had entered the room, and it rendered him speechless, for the whole hour the meeting ran.

Korra gracefully walked down the hall while also talking. "Jinora gave me the basic information to know, lets talk some details to solve this problem, alright?" Her voice was calm, yet forceful, something that took years of public speaking as the Avatar for her to master.

She went the whole meeting not noticing Mako, but he noticed her; he noticed how her lips still move the same way when she says 'problem', how she still explicitly pouts if someone says something she doesn't agree with, _she was never the best at hiding her emotions. _She had the same laugh, the same smile, her eyes still widened when she heard and idea she liked. **_Korra never changed._**

Mako couldn't blame her for not recognising him, he was the one that changed. He no longer wore his father's scarf, it had become too old for him to wear out, but it laid peacefully next to his pillow every night so he could keep his father close, his every day attire was now a slender, fitted black peacoat, and a top hat to match; his face matured with the years, his cheek bones had become more visible and his chin longer. Of course Korra wouldn't immediately recognise him.

He worked up the courage, to say the first words he would in 10 years to his first love, who was discussing her resident plans with Jinora.

"Say can the Avatar spare some time for a coffee date with a city boy like me?" his baritone voice was soft and almost seductive, but the Avatar recognised him immediately after hearing the voice she was in love with.

There it was again, the memories, they overwhelmed her, she threw herself into a hug and excitedly blurted out his name

"Mako!"  
"So that's a yes?" he smirked  
"Still an idiot I see, of course it's a yes!" and she kissed him on a cheek, leading to a shade of pink escaping his face.


	2. The Get Together

Mako and Korra parted ways after the council meeting and agreed to lunch at the coffee shop next to Naruk's Noodlery. The meeting had surfaced many old memories for Korra; the memories started out as the innocent first meeting, infatuation and butterflies in her stomach memories, and they soon turnt into the hurtful, fights with Mako, Asami love triangle memories, but made their way back to the beautiful, serene, memories of their confession of love to each other. Whenever she was with Mako she was the happiest, but also the most frightened that someone she loves will be put in harms way because of her. On their way back to Air Temple Island Jinora was rambling on about some of the newest movies, she had become quite the lover of the arts, but Korra sat on the sky bison gazing at the Republic City skyline, thinking about Mako; how his smirk was the same, how is eyes always locked with hers when they spoke, and how an embrace with Mako now was no different than an embrace with Mako when she was 17, she felt 17 all over again just because of one run in with Mako. Her heart began to pound and anxiety was roaming through her veins, the anxiety left Korra wanting more, because it was the kind of anxiety that you felt when you're in love, and she knew because she only felt it once before, with Mako.

"Korra?" Jinora asked as they approached the island, after noticing Korra didn't hear anything she said she let out a sigh of frustration "Are you even listening? They're making a movie about the Hundred Year War! Aren't you excited?"  
Jinora's words traveled through Korra's ears, but she still didn't comprehend, she hesitated trying to think of something vague to say so Jinora would't notice her mind was elsewhere "Uhh yeah? Cool!.. Hey am I in my old room?"  
"Yup! You know the way"

* * *

Korra traveled through the halls of the temple to notice the air was the same here, it was tranquil, peaceful, refreshing and the acolytes gave a sense of comfort and security. She made way to her old room and it too was unchanged, as if she never left Republic City. She began to unpack her bags, she traveled light, seeing as she knew she wouldn't be staying for long; a couple of formal outfits, some casual clothes, and some she deemed as in between, along with a plethora of hair products to tame her unruly curls. As she unpacked she heard a voice from behind.

"So are you going to stay?" Jinora was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a skeptical look on her face, Korra sighed and continued to unpack.  
"You know I assumed since you saw Mako you'd want to stay, after all these years.." She sat on Korra's bed, giving the emotionless woman a concerned look, Korra was searching for the right thing to say  
"You didn't tell me Mako was part of the council" she muttered "But that's okay" Korra stared at the wall "But after all that's happened, you know why I can't stay" Korra continued to stare at the wall, wondering why she even agreed to go to have coffee with Mako in two hours.  
Jinora pleaded, she had a concerned look on her face "But that was years ago!"  
"Out!" Korra pointed at the door, and Jinora took it as her queue to leave Korra be

* * *

The aroma of the coffee shop was soothing, when she walked in she immediately smelt the sweets, and demanded to eat those for lunch. As she waited on line she saw Mako walk in, she waved her hand and Mako smiled; he rarely ever genuinely smiled, but when he did it was a sight to see. His smile could light up the whole town, and the recession would be over because no one would have to pay for electricity._ Ha maybe I should bring that up at the next meeting _ she thought while smiling to herself. Mako ran to Korra, in shame for being a few minutes late  
"How long have you been waiting?" he seemed flustered, _it was cute.  
"_Only ten minutes city boy" she smirked "I know what you like go find a seat, it's on me"  
before Mako could disagree with her paying for lunch she gave him a glare, a glare that after years of being with Korra he knew not to fight, so he complied to Korra's wishes.

Korra arrived at the table with a plate of water tribe cookies for herself and dumplings for Mako, he gave her a skeptical look "Really? Cookies for lunch?" Korra smiled and seated herself  
"Hey! The Air Acolytes fed me a lot this morning anyway, you know how they're like" An awkward silence followed, _of course Mako knew how they're like_ Korra thought,_ he lived with us for three years_  
Mako decided to break the silence "So" he fidgeted "How long has it been?"  
"About ten years now" Korra immediately answered "Say what's Bolin up to these days?"  
Mako laughed "The last time I heard form him he was in the desert trying to learn sandbending, the adventures he gets himself into" Korra laughed too, it was good to know her departure hadn't hurt anyone else close to her  
"And you Mako" she said while trying to swallow her last cookie "How did a cop like you end up councilman?"  
"Time was kind to me.. I guess" his voice lowered "What have you been up to these years?"  
Korra looked away "Traveling, a lot, I've learnt to pack light, because there's always another place to visit, another conflict to solve, and why stay in one place when the whole world is out there? After being locked up in the South Pole for half my life, I've found love in traveling"

It grew silent for minutes, Korra was trying to think of the right thing to say next  
"I'm sorry I left when I did, I know that I hurt you and I hope you can forgive me" she was holding back her tears, Mako held her hand and gave her a concerned look  
"Don't be, I understan-" Korra interrupted his next sentence  
"After I got you back from Koh, I wanted to be by your side to protect you from everything, but I realised that to protect you I had to leave" she began to tear up, the tears burnt down her face and she felt helpless, Mako's cool hand wiped the tears away with his and he caressed her face  
"Hey we're older now, it's okay.. a beautiful face like yours shouldn't be crying" Korra laughed "See? That's more like it, there's a fair tonight on the pier outside of the arena, why don't we go and get our minds off of this whole mess" Mako's face was hopeful for an answer and Korra was shocked to even get the opportunity to be with him again  
"Like old times?"  
"Like old times."

* * *

In the hours leading up to the fair Mako traveled the streets he lived on as a child, they were eerily similar. The sense of lost hope in the air, survival, and corruption. It became routine for him to bring food to hand out to the street orphans, he never wanted them to resort to what he had to for food, they always appreciated his presence, he came almost everyday bearing food. The gangs were often pestered by this, since they wouldn't find work, but they knew not to get on Councilman Mako's bad side, so they let it be. Mako knew nothing changed, he changed, but for the better. _who would have thought the orphan whose only motive in living was to protect his brother would be a pro bender, a cop, and part of the council one day? _he sure didn't. Mako found his calling in the police force, there he was able to protect people, protect everyone from the corruption, the violence, the pain, and if he was able to better one person's day, he knew he did enough, and becoming a council member let him protect the city to a greater extent, _it was where he belonged._

* * *

Mako met Korra on the boardwalk holding a bouquet of Panda Lilies, the same flowers he got for her on their one year anniversary years ago. She wore a fitted button down navy blue dress that complimented her figure, her hair was put up in a bun, with th infamous water tribe hair loops to tie back her fringe. As she stood there is seemed as if they were the only two people on the boardwalk, she awkwardly smiled and waved to Mako, who stood there dumbfoundly with butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

Old feelings resurfaced for Mako and he realised what he knew all along

**_He still loved her._**

* * *

A/N: Hi! I', sorry I'm taking this story so slow I just have this plan in my head for each chapter ah! I'll probably update this timorrow since I write the chapter at night, thanks for reading! Please comment :3


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